Redemption
by Mournful-Optimist
Summary: After 'Swan Song' What happens during the time Sam is gone and we see him at the end? How did he get out of Hell? This is my take on it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing; this is just for entertainment and something for me to distract myself with while I try really, really hard to quit smoking. This is set after the Apocalypse. Sam said yes. Dean didn't. Dean thought his brother dead, nothing more than a vessel. But he was wrong. Sam was alive. This chapter is the lead up to Sam saying 'yes' the next chapter will be what happens after the Apocalypse.

Sam knew what he was doing when he said 'yes' he knew the bigger picture. Knew if he said yes and couldn't throw the Devil into the box the world was screwed. And not the happy kind of screwed with a cigarette at the end either. He had left Dean at Bobby's, both men fast asleep. He knew he only had a small window of opportunity before Dean woke up and realized what Sam was going to do. All his life Dean had done everything he could to protect Sam. Every time their Dad left on a hunt his last words were always to Dean. 'Look out for Sam' or 'Take care of your brother' it was always Dean sacrificing for Sam. After Dean sold his soul, Sam promised himself to do whatever he had to do to keep Dean alive. When they found out about Michael's sword Sam knew he would die before letting his brother say 'yes.'

So here he was on a road in the middle of no where looking out into a field. Waiting, he knew what had to be done but the internal struggle to do what needed to be done was waging war inside his mind. He had left a note for Dean short sweet and to the point. Unusual for Sam but he figured his normal longwinded need to talk would not make the situation any better for Dean. So he opted to keep the letter short. Told Dean not to worry he knew what he was doing. Not that he had any idea beyond the basic idea of what he was doing. Cas has told him some things but not everything, besides there was no 'How-to' manual on his current situation. For the most part he was going to have to wing it and hope it was enough to put the Devil in his box. It had to be enough. This was the only way. No one else could stop the devil. Heaven and Hell had both told him he was the only one. Granted both sides were after something for themselves, but in the end they were both right about one thing. Sam was the only one that could end this. So here he was. Waiting for good ol' Lucy himself. Lucky for Sam he didn't have to wait long. The Devil walked straight towards him, in a brief moment when the clouds passed over the moon Sam could have sworn he saw Castiel standing far off to the side. He didn't get the chance to look closely, a simple nod of his head and Sam was no more. He was now a vessel, meat flesh and bones holding Evil himself inside. Sam's world was now filed with darkness, the slow hum of power all he could hear.

It was hot, not just the normal kind of hot either. I mean hotter than hell hot. Which could in fact be true, Hell was known for being Hot. Vague flashes of memories swam in Sam's head. Flashes of violence and carnage, demons that refused to cooperate being ripped to shreds, hell hounds growling and snarling awaiting a command from their one true master. The screams of Hells inhabitants echoed back in forth in his mind. Alistair would have been proud. If he had been alive to see. That was one thing Sam knew, Alistair was dead. Lucifer was in his box, he had done what he set out to do. So why was Sam still in Hell? And why were Hell Hounds looking at him with their heads cocked to the side like a Dog waiting for their owner to throw a ball? Not to mention the woman standing a few feet in front of him with long brown hair and dark wings. Why did she have wings? Wasn't this Hell? Did angels help him? Who was this girl?

"Hello Sam. I'm Ella, a Guardian." He must have spoken out loud with out realizing it. Her wing fluttered a moment. He could feel the air around him move.

"Ella? Nice name," If Ella knew Sam at all she would see his patented 'bitch-face' looking back at her. "Where am I?"

"Hell Sam." She said it like she was throwing out an off handed comment about the weather. "More accurately you're standing outside the devils gate."

"How do I get out of here?"

"You don't get yourself out of here. I get you out. But I can't let you out just yet."

"Why the fuck not? I did what I was supposed to do. I put Lucifer back in his cage. I want to go home. I _need_ to go home. I left my brother up there. My other brother is who knows where with an archangel riding him around! What else am I supposed to do?" Sam's anger was at a boiling point.

"Dean is safe Sam, and I will make sure he stays safe. You have my word on that. As for Adam he is back where he belongs in Heaven." She paused a moment before starting again. "Sam, what you did no one thought was possible; you put Lucifer back in his cage and took Michael with you. An archangel Sam, _the_ Archangel, the one to end the Apocalypse. He and his brother were supposed to fight till Earth looked like the ruins of Rome. But you stopped it. You changed the outcome of a prophesy foretold eons ago. You changed the fate of the _world_ Sam."

Yea it was true, but it still sounded odd. As happy as he was that he had done it he wasn't going to let on to her that he was proud of himself. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, but I still don't know what you want from me."

"It's not what I want Sam, it's what you have to do to survive. I could let you out right now, let you go topside. But the second any Demon finds you, you're dead. You caged the beast, their leader the Messiah of Evil. What do you think a Demon would do to you if they catch you? Give you a slap on the wrist?" Ella gave a small laugh at her own joke, and Sam cracked a smile. She was not trustworthy yet but she somehow reminded Sam of Dean.

"Ok I get it, I go topside and every Demon is gonna be hunting me down. So what do I do? I'm not staying down here forever, if that's what you're suggesting you should kill me now." Sam's anger was dissipating; his hunter's training coming back to him. Figure out where you are and find a way out. If Ella knew a way out Sam was going to get her to help.

"I can't kill you Sam." For the first time Ella spoke with absolute calm and conviction in her words.

"You look like you could, why haven't you tried yet?"

"I told you Sam I'm a Guardian. I guard things. Sometimes people sometimes places, and every once in a while I guard an object; like your sword. I've been Guarding your sword for almost 3,000 years. I've been here in Hell for five years waiting for you to claim your sword. Now that you have it my orders have changed."

"Changed how?"

"I guard you now, until your training is complete. There are things you must know Sam. Drinking as much Demon blood as you did then letting Lucifer ride you is unheard of. No one thought you could do it. And now that you have, there are things you must know how to do."

Sam took a deep breath at the mention of Demon blood. He wasn't proud of what he did, but it helped him to cage Lucifer, it was a catch 22 in his mind. Did he do the right thing or not? He walked over to a near by wall and slid slowly to the ground, leaning his sword next to him, close enough to grab if needed. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. A few deep calming breaths later he was ready to ask questions again.

"What do I need to know? And how do I know for sure my Brothers are safe? How do I know I can trust you?"

"You trusted Castiel didn't you?" Ella said completely ignoring Sam's first question.

Sam quickly opened his eyes, "How do you know Cas?"

"Castiel isn't an Archangel Sam, but he was still sent to pull your brother from hell. He stayed to protect your brother. Haven't you ever wondered why?"

Yea he did wonder about that but he always trusted Dean. If Dean said Cas was trustworthy then he was. But Ella made a great point. What was Cas doing with them? The war involved angels yes but all the angels they had run into had been archangels, why wasn't Cas?

"Ok I'll bite, what is Cas if he's not and archangel?"

"Castiel is an angel Sam, he always has been. But he's more than just that. Castiel has been the Gate-Keeper for centuries. His first task as an angel was to guard the Gates out of Hell. For years that was his only task; until your brother made that deal. Then his task changed, he fought by my side for months to get to your brother out of the pit. After, his orders changed yet again, he became your brothers Guardian. "

Realization slowly dawned on Sam's face. Cas was a Guardian Angel, as clichéd as that sounded. So was Ella. He had his own Guardian Angel; maybe God had some faith in Sam after all. Either that or God had a lot of pity for Sam. He was actually okay with both options at this point.

"So you have to guard me and Cas guards Dean?"

"Yes"

"Huh, well that's interesting. So, what do I need to know to get out of here?"

"It's not just what you need to know Sam; it's what you need to do as well."

End of the first chapter. The next chapter is going to jump ahead to the last scene in 'Swan Song' where we see Sam under the street light. I like the idea of time moving faster in Hell than up here on Earth, so I'm going to use that in this story. But don't worry you'll still find out about Sam's training with Ella in the form of flashbacks. Hope you guys liked it. Oh and before I get reviews asking how Ella can be an Angel and in Hell, don't worry that will be explained in chapter 2 or 3.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ella was standing outside Singer Wrecking looking out at all the junk piles enjoying the bright sun. It was one of those days where the weather was co-operating, which in her line of work meant no omens or demons. She had spent the last 6 months here at Bobby's; she and Dean had shown up on his door step one night asking to stay. Bobby's had taken one look at Dean and immediately let him in. Although he had a few reservations about Ella, Dean had vouched for her. Said she had shown up at Lisa's one day, she didn't talk to him at first. She was just always around; when Dean would go to work or take Ben to school she was always there in the shadows. Dean's instincts kicked in and the hair on the back of his neck would stand up when ever she was near. He finally decided to approach her one day after dropping Ben off at soccer practice.

_Dean walked to the far end of the field where he knew she was at. He couldn't see her but he felt her near. "Ok lady, I know I'm good looking, but why are you following me?"_

_Ella walked out of the tree's surrounding the back end of the soccer field. She knew Dean had seen her on several occasions over the past month she had been watching him, but she wanted him to approach her. This way he knew if she wanted to hurt him or his family she could have done it already. She walked slowly towards him, "I'm not following you Dean, I'm watching you" her hands swaying with every step she took. _

_Dean arched an eyebrow at her "Yea lady, that's not creepy at all." Sarcasm was a skill Dean mastered at a young age. Ella didn't seem to understand his sarcasm. It wasn't that she didn't understand jokes or get ironic moments. She was just used to someone else's jokes, someone else's sense of humor, someone not Dean. _

_They were both staring at each other waiting for someone to speak; Ella had waited a month for this moment and decided to wait for Dean to break the silence. It didn't take long. "Why have you been following me? And don't give me that 'I'm watching you not following' crap either."_

_The phrase 'now or never' was going through Ella's mind. "I am watching you, it just so happens that in order to watch you I must follow you. As to why I've been watching you," Ella took a deep breath, willing herself to answer Dean truthfully and hoping she would not end up dead, "Sam asked me to." _

_Sam was right, the truth does hurt. Or at least that's what is seemed like. Dean looked like he wanted to kill, maim and cry all at once. Ella wasn't sure what to do. It was easier with Sam; she knew what he needed and what he was thinking. Right now she was out of her element, she had no idea what was going on in Dean's head. She could see him clenching and unclenching his fists, the look he was giving her was comparable to Sam's 'angry face.' She briefly wondered if Sam was doing ok, if he was still safe. Before her mind could run off with her thoughts Dean was speaking again._

"_Sam sent you? Wow lady did he send you a note with a carrier pigeon? Sam's dead," the look on Deans face made Ella flinch, like it was the first time he had said those words aloud, "you're a little late to talk to him." _

"_He didn't send me a pigeon, or a note. He asked me to watch out for you..." before she could finish her sentence Dean cut her off. _

"_You? Watch out for me? How in the world are you going to watch out for me?" Dean let out a sound that was suspiciously similar to a ppfft. Sam did that too when he was annoyed. "I'm not so sure you could look after yourself. You're what 19 maybe 20? I'm sure the life of a hunter sounds great and all but news flash kid, it ain't. This life sucks, trust me. If you can get out, get out. Run home to Mommy and Daddy; apologize for whatever you did and live a happy apple pie life with them. You couldn't protect me anymore than I could protect Sam. And he's in Hell so go sell your BS story to someone else." Dean turned to walk away, "And while you're at it tell all your Demon buddies to leave me alone. I'm done with that life." _

"_I'm not a demon, and Sam's not in Hell." Dean immediately stopped walking. If someone could see his face they would see Dean fighting back tears. This was the most Dean had said about Sam since he died. He didn't even talk to Lisa about Sam. _

_Dean slowly turned around after shoving his emotions down deep inside, in that place he kept memories of hell in, along with every other bad memory he had. "Christo." He muttered. _

"_I'm not a demon."_

"_Then what are you? And where is Sam?" The softness of Dean's voice made Ella thing that maybe just maybe he was going to let her explain, and maybe he would believe her. _

"_I'm a friend of Sam's, as for where he is I can't tell you, I don't exactly know, but I know he's there willingly. He'll come back to you when he is done."_

"_So let me get this straight, you're not a demon, Sam's alive and somehow you've been to Hell and back? Give me one good reason why I should believe you."_

"_Sam told me this is how you would be, he also told me you would want proof I wasn't lying." Ella took a deep breath, not sure if she was ready to give Dean the best news of his life and at the same time ruin what Sam called the 'apple pie life' he had built for himself. "Army man in the ashtray in the back seat of the Impala Sam put it there when he was a kid."_

"_You're gonna have to do better than that. Chuck even knew about that."_

"_Till the day Sam jumped into the cage you considered taking care of him your job, you told him that, right before he said yes. Sam made you promise to leave him in the cage. It's the only time you have ever listened to Sam." _

_Every emotion Dean hated to show was running across his face. From anger to sadness to a brief spark of happiness. It was all there for Ella to see. Sam had been right; Dean would do anything for him. Making him promise to do nothing had been the single most horrifying moment in Dean's life. Ella could see that now._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Ella. My name is Ella. Although Sam calls me his Ella Bella, I'm still not sure why."_

"_Ok Ella, I'm still not sure I believe you a hundred percent but I'm willing to take a chance. How do I get Sam back?"_

"_You can't go get him back Dean, I told you he will come back to you when he's finished. But until then you need to be kept safe, Sam has lots of enemies. Especially now after he locked Lucifer and Michael in a cage. Heaven and Hell are both after him." It was true all things supernatural were after Sam now. There was no hiding from it; Sam was going to be hunted until the end. But it was a risk he was willing to take, to come back home to Dean._

"_So what I'm just supposed to sit back and wait for him to show up?"_

"_No Dean, we go somewhere safe."_

"_Safe eh? We can go to Bobby's" Dean stared walking back to his car, he gave Ella a quick way that she took as a sign to follow him. When she caught up to him he was closing his phone, like he had just ended a conversation. By the time they had gotten to the car Dean was ready to ask another question. But he kept opening and closing his mouth until finally he got the words out, "He's not in Hell?" It was like Ella's words from before had just sunk in. The tense line in Deans shoulders seemed to melt away, the relief in his face was noticeable. _

"_Not anymore. A month after he jumped into the cage he broke out walked into the pit, and killed more demons than I've ever seen before. He spent a week in the pit killing everything that got close to him. By the time he was calm enough for me to approach him he had made his way to the Devils Gate. Nothing but blood and bodies lay behind him. Hell kneeled at his feet. It was breathtaking." Ella was remembering the first moment she saw Sam. Fighting his way through Hell, sword at his side, ready to kill anything he had to just for a chance to get home. To Ella it was beautiful. _

That afternoon they drove straight to Bobby's house. That was 6 months ago and during that time Ella had managed to keep her identity as a Guardian a secret. Dean still didn't trust her completely but Ella figured Dean didn't trust anyone completely, except maybe Sam. Bobby took a while to warm up to her but once he did he realized she was a wealth of information on the supernatural. If Bobby couldn't find the answer in one of his book he would go to Ella. So far she had the answer's he needed or knew what book he needed to look in. Ella spent most of her time outside with Dean. When he wasn't on a hunt he was fixing up cars and helping Bobby. It was nice for her; she enjoyed being outside after so long in Hell. She even stopped wearing shoes outside. The feel of grass between her toes was too nice to pass up. She and Dean spent hours sitting outside after Bobby went to sleep; they would watch the stars and Dean would try to figure her out by asking 'not so subtle' questions. It was almost a game to them, to ask ridiculous questions and share past stories. During that time Ella had learned about Sam and Deans childhood, some of the oddest hunts they had been on, and the infamous 'prank wars'. Dean had learned that Ella was not only incredibly smart but skilled with most weapons. Although she detested guns; said they were too impersonal, anyone could point and shoot, it took skill to fight, not to mention honor to meet your advisory on the battle field. They were kindred spirits in a way, two people bound by their love for another. Both waiting, biding their time for that person to return to them, neither knowing he was closer than they ever expected.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean was on a hunt with Bobby. Ella had decided to stay at home. The idea of killing vampires was beneath her, that and a feeling of something coming was steadily growing in her. It wasn't the normal feeling she got when bad things happened. Ella truly was a warrior, she didn't get bad feeling before battle, nerves never plagued her, she knew if it was her time to die she would, but not before putting up an epic fight.

This feeling had been growing for the past several days, it was unnerving and yet somehow comforting at the same time. Moments of sheer adrenaline would flow through Ella, followed by intense fear and determination. All this while she sat on Bobby's front porch; whatever was going on was normal for her. Never in her time as a celestial being had she felt such raw emotion.

A flutter of wings broke her from her thoughts. She turned to the left knowing _he _would be there soon. She was not disappointed, within moments the flutter of wings brought her face to face with Castiel. She neither ignored his presence nor did she make any outward signs of acknowledging it.

The feeling of fear deep inside was back. If she hadn't been sitting already it would have dropped her to her knees.

"Its overwhelming at first, but it gets easier."

"Why are you here Castiel? Shouldn't you be in heaven, ignoring your charge down here?"

"I have not ignored Dean." Cas cocked his head to the side, "I have been busy."

"Yea Cas real busy, Dean and Sam sacrifice everything and in the end you get a free pass back home complete with a shinny new pair of wings." Ella was standing up at this point, if it were not for her short stature she would have been nose to nose with Cas. Instead she was a few steps back from him looking him dead in the eyes. "Congratulations Cas, while you're up in Heaven enjoying your new role, I'm down here picking up the pieces you helped create."

"Ella…"Cas let out a sigh, no doubt a human trait he learned from Dean.

"Don't Cas." Ella was almost yelling, "Don't come down here spewing non sense about how busy you have been in Heaven. I don't care. Heaven can fall to anarchy, It'll survive… It always does." Ella began to turn around. "Heaven will always survive Cas, you, me, other angels, demons, all of it. It will survive. Dean won't. Not without Sam, and if he can't have Sam then he needs you and Bobby to help hold him together."

"If? You said if he can't have Sam. Sam is in the cage, no one can get him out, not without letting Lucifer and Michael out. I will not let that happen, Sam stays in the cage Ella"

The slow smile on Ella's face was absolutely frightening, her wings slowly unfurled, "Watch what you say. Do not threaten me Cas, shinny new wings or not, I will end you to protect what's mine."

Most would be scared of Ella in her current state, but if Cas was he wasn't showing it. He simply looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate, never had he seen Ella so protective, so willing to fight a friend for a human. It was pleasant to see that Dean had rubbed off on Ella as much as he had Cas.

"I mean you no disrespect Ella. I was simply stating the facts; there is nothing _we_ can do. If there was I would have done it already. I want Sam back just as much as Dean. It's why I've stayed away; I have no new information that will help him get his brother back."

Ella's stance softened but she still remained in a defensive position. The loud purr of the Impala could be heard. Dean was parking close to the house. "Then you didn't look hard enough Cas, there is a way to get Sam back, he _will_ be back. I can promise you that." By this time Dean had already parked and was standing not far from Ella and Cas.

"You two know each other?"

"Yes" Both angels replied at once.

"Angels in surround sound, creepy. Is it true Cas?"

"Is what true?"

"Can it be done? Can we get Sam back?"

A look of pure grief crossed Castiels face. He looked to Ella who was still in a state of rage. The look in her eyes was daring Cas to break Dean. To kill any hope he may have had. "Dean, if there is a way to get Sam back, then maybe just maybe we can do it, but I don't know if any way to get him out, not without letting them all out. We cannot allow them all to get out Dean…"

"Shut-up Cas, you might not know a way to get him out but I do, I've spent enough time in Hell to learn a few loop holes to the rules, even Father's rules." Ella was shaking in emotions, they were consuming her and she was having difficulty distinguishing which ones were hers and which were not.

"Damnit Ellla! I've listened to your cryptic talk, you say I can't get him out that he's gonna come back when the time is right, when is that time? Huh? When do I get my brother back? Jesus Ella he's in Hell, you got him out of the cage, why not get him out like Cas got me out? He sacrificed enough; doesn't that tip the scales in his favor? Jumping into that cage had to count for something." Dean was trying to calm his breathing; the anger in him was heart breaking.

Ella smiled, Sam had tipped the scales, in a way no one ever thought possible.

Cas growled. "Out of the cage? Ella what did you do?"

"What needed to be done Cas. I had a job to do, unlike you I don't leave my charges when things get tough."

"I was here at the beginning, I was at the cemetery for the end, and I rebelled for Dean. I did not leave my charge."

"_Charges_ Cas, more than one. It's sad you didn't see it then, family Cas that's what Sam and Dean are. You help one you help them both, you hurt one and the other will kill you. Your orders were to guard Dean, and by proxy Sam. By not doing everything you could do to protect Sam to help him prepare for the cage you damned Dean to a life of misery. That my old friend will be your burden to carry until the end of time."

Cas was silent whatever argument he had was lost, Dean was looking back and forth between the angels, wondering what to do next.

"Help prepare Sam how?" As usual it was Dean who broke the silence.

"It is in the past Dean, leave it there, it can't be changed." Ella went to sit back down, new feelings were consuming her, anger, rage, and adrenaline had been replaced with joy, a slight nervousness and and feeling of glee. It was disconcerting to Ella, emotions were something she was stunted in understanding. To have this many different powerful emotions freely flowing through her was frightening at best.

"Ella?" It was Dean, always concerned for everyone around him.

Ella took a deep breath trying to settle her mind before speaking, "I'm ok Dean, just overwhelmed. Having emotions run through you that aren't your own can be daunting."

"Who's emotions?"

Another deep breath, Ella raised her head ready to tell Dean another secret she had kept from him, "Sam's emotions, always Sam's, who knew someone could feel so much?"

"You can feel Sam's emotions? How?"

Castiel had been silent through this conversation; he had busied himself with studying Ella, trying to figure out what was going on with her. She souldn't be feeling such an overwhelming wave of Sam's emotions.

"The same way Cas can feel your emotions. It's how Angels keep an eye on their charges."

It had been 3 days since Ella had talked to Dean and Cas, her emotions were still ever changing and every time she went to speak it came out as a low growl. It was becoming disconcerting to Ella; this inability to keep a hold of her emotions. Emotions themselves didn't bother her, not being able to control them didn't seem to affect her. It was the fact that they were Sam's emotions that was slowly driving her to break the deal she made and go after him. The idea of this much rage flowing freely through Sam made her furious at whoever caused them. She had her suspicions as to who caused _her_ Sam so much rage and misery but there was little she could do. She had made a deal and like all deals her's came with a heavy price tag if she interfered.


End file.
